1. Brief Description of the Invention
The present invention relates to combustion methods and apparatus, more particularly, those that produce carbon black.
2. Related Art
Previously, it has been known to produce carbon black by use of a flame, through which a highly-carbon-laden gas, such as acetylene, was moved through. The heat of the flame “cracks” the acetylene and forms the carbon black.
Improvements have been made by some, for example, to eliminate the flame, sometimes called a pilot flame. Elimination of the pilot flame does eliminate two gases, fuel (typically natural gas) and oxidant (typically air or oxygen) for the pilot flame. Normally what is done is that an ignition source is placed near the acetylene flow. When a carbon black deposit is desired, an ignition source is activated, lighting off the acetylene.
This approach has its own drawbacks however, the main one being that the ignition source is exposed to the source of carbon black. The carbon black can and does tend to cloak the ignition source in carbon black.
What is desired then, is a method and apparatus which eliminates or greatly reduces the amount of carbon black deposited on ignition sources, but which maintains the benefits of the pilot flame.